Turkish Cypriot teachers charged to court, accused of ‘battering’ police during a protest

The latest hearing in the case against 22 Turkish Cypriot teachers who were accused of “battering” police officers during a protest in 2022 took place in Lefkosia on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s hearing hearing was brief, with the next hearing scheduled for June 11.

The teachers were dismayed about the progress on Wednesday, pointing out that they have had to take time away from their classes to attend court.

Cyprus Turkish teachers’ trade union (Ktos) leader Burak Mavis said after the hearing that “children’s time is being stolen”, and added, “it is not possible for 22 teachers to all have assaulted a police officer”.

“The prosecutor’s office has so far avoided watching the footage from the protest. If footage of us assaulting a police officer is found, we are ready to give our account before the courts,” he said.

He added, “we are already honoured by the will we have shown in such a fight concerning teachers’ rights, but we are very disturbed by the fact that children’s time is being stolen in this way and that teachers are having to leave their pupils to come here”.

Cyprus Turkish secondary education teachers’ trade union (Ktoeos) secretary-general Tahir Gokcebel also spoke outside court, linking the ongoing case to the north’s ruling coalition’s insistence on the legalisation of the wearing of hijabs by girls at public schools.

“On the one hand, [‘education minister’ Nazim Cavusoglu] will abuse a child’s right to education, in league with the Turkish embassy, due to the headscarf issue, postpone education due to a political party conference, empty schools by sending teachers to court, and prevent lessons from taking place, but on the other, he will say he is concerned about education … This is unacceptable,” he said.

He went on to described Cavusoglu’s position as “untenable” and called on him to resign.